I just tried using this iso with the "UEFI Installer" in Tahrpup 6.0.6, and it failed on 2 accounts.
1. It didn't copy the BOOT_SPECS file from the iso.
2. It didn't provide a "pupsfs" (or "pdrv") boot parameter.
After manually fixing these 2 ommissions, it all worked fine.

This deficency in the installer is not surprising, since in the past neither of these were requirements.

Note: My script uses an overlayfs stack to "merge" my mods with the parent iso.
I created a "mods" directory containing the patched files.
Mounted the parent iso on a "release" directory, and copied it's "isolinux.bin" to "mods".
Then mounted an overlay stack on the directory "stack", with "mods" as the read/write directory, and "release" as the lower read-only directory.
I then did a "mkisofs" using the "stack" directory.

I'm uploading deltas simply because they are so small compared to a full iso.
And I assume that you already have the ".iso" of the Puppy you would like to test.

This release is mainly about support for booting an ".iso", using a multi-session DVD or isoBooter.

Changes:

1. I've reverted pupmode=37 back to pupmode=21.

2. Introduced a pupmode=93. This is what you get when you choose "Archive" as a save mechanism when booting a multi-session DVD.
It's a lot like pupmode=77, only different.
Like pupmode=21, on shutdown, it makes a tar archive of the rw layer in tmpfs.
On reboot it extracts the latest tar image into the empty rw layer in tmpfs.

3. To facilitate item 2, there is a new utility called "dvd-append-files" to write a list of files to a multi-session DVD.
For any other media it will do nothing.
It accepts multiple files, since sometimes "rc.shutdown" has to write a new copy of BOOT_SPECS as well as the tar archive.
It automatically adds a 4 digit number to the provided file names to ensure that the files written to the DVD are unique,
and that the latest will sort as the last filename.
There is also a "dvd-check" utility wich will indicate any problems with the media in a specified device.

4. Both pupmode=21 and pupmode=93 create ".tar.gz" files, to save space, without sacrificing too much time.

5. BOOT_SPECS is now called "${DISTRO_FILE_PREFIX}BOOT_SPECS" e.g. "slackoBOOT_SPECS".
Based on the curtrrent parctice of "${DISTRO_FILE_PREFIX}save" e.g. "slackosave".
This is to provide some uniqueness when it gets written to the root of a device.

6. "init" now supports a default BOOT_SPECS in the "initrd.gz".
This is to enable Puppy non-standard sfs files to be included in first boot, e.g. "overlay_mods.sfs".
This is created by the "overlay-setup" script, and my script to update an iso.

7. "init" now supports the "psavemark=" boot parameter,

8. "init" now runs 'date "+%F %R %z"' after any clock set.
The output of this command ends up in "/initrd/tmp/bootinit.log".

9. "init" will now boot with only 1 sfs file.
For later convenience, this "init" creates a read-only overlay stack of all the sfs files, mounted at "/initrd/pup_sfs".
Unfortunately overlayfs does not support the creation of such a stack with only 1 layer.
This can occur if several of the sfs files get renamed and hence fail to mount, so you are left with only a puppy...sfs.
"init" now handles this situation, and continues the boot, (although booting a modern Puppy without a zdrv is often not pretty).

Note:
I obviously need to make available a utility to generate an overlay iso from a standard iso.
The one I currently use is not very transportable, and depends on "overlayfs" being active, and uses the utilities contained in "overlay_mods.sfs".
So, currently you need a running overlay Puppy to produce an overlay iso.

gyroLast edited by gyro on Sun 04 Feb 2018, 04:12; edited 3 times in total

To use:
Download into an empty directory and rename to "mk-overlay-iso".
Download "overlay_init-0.3.tar" into the same directory.
In a console window in this directory, run "mk-overlay-iso /path/to/puppy.iso".
It should produce a "puppy-overlay0.3.iso" file in the same directory.

Unfortunately this version uses "overlayfs" and some utilities in "overlay_mods.sfs", (contained in "overlay_init-0.3.tar").
It will refuse to do anything if these are not available.
If you don't have a running overlay_init-0.3 Puppy, you should be able to use "mk-overlay-iso" if your kernel supports "overlayfs", by issuing a "modprobe overlay" command, and loading "overlay_mods.sfs" with "sfs_load".

If you generate an overlay iso and try to use it with one of the Puppy install programs to do a frugal install, the result install will probably not boot.
1. The installer probably failed to copy the overlay_mods.sfs to the install directory.
2. The installer did not specify a "psfspart=" boot parameter, (or a "pdev1=", or "pupsfs=" or "pdrv=").
This "init" needs to be told which partition the Puppy is installed on.
This is done by using one of the above boot parameters.
And of course, if the insatll is to a sub-directory, this needs to be specified with a "psfsdir=" boot parameter, (or "psubdir=").

3. Answer 'n' to the "splash screen" question.
This means grub4dos boots using the Puppy files inside the iso, rather than booting the iso itself.
This provides you with a "kernel" line in "menu.lst", to which you can add boot parameters.

4. Edit the "menu.lst" file and replace "pfix=fsck" with a "TZ=" parameter appropriate to your timezone.
For Queensland, Australia, I add "TZ=AEST-10".

Note: "overlay_mods.sfs" contains a "showTZ" utility which displays a TZ parameter that should be appropriate to your timezone.

I'm uploading deltas simply because they are so small compared to a full iso.
And I assume that you already have the ".iso" of the Puppy you would like to test.

This release is just a bug fix release. Only some utilities in "overlay_mods.sfs" have changed.
So if you have a working overlay_init-0.3, you only need to replace "overlay_mods.sfs".

Changes:

1. "saveconfig" -> "Folder" contains a "Default" button which was frequently not shown when it could have been.
The "Default" button is now shown more appropriately.

2. Replaced "overlay-setup" with "overlay-setup-frugal".
It will now update a normal frugal install if it has either,
both "initrd.overlay.gz" and "overlay_mods.sfs" added to it,
or, an "overlay_init-" ".tar" file added to it.
It also does a more complete cleanup of un-needed files.

3. It includes a new "overlay-make-iso" utility.
Open a console in a directory containing only an "overlay_init-0.4.tar" file,
and issue a command like "overlay-make-iso /path/to/puppy-7.iso".
This will produce a new "puppy-overlay0.4-7.iso".

Note on multisession DVD:
I was able to "upgrade" my overlay_init0.3 DVD, with the following:
I used "dvd-append-files" to append the new "overlay_mods.sfs" to the DVD.
This resulted in a file called "overlay_mods-1001.sfs" being written to the DVD.
I then booted the DVD and used "System-SFS manager" to modify the "ABOVE" sfs list,
by removing the "overlay_mods.sfs" entry, and adding "overlay_mods-1001.sfs", (and moving it to the top of the list).
On reboot, it loaded "overlay_mods-1001.sfs", and so became a working overlay_init0.4 DVD.

Generated from delta the slacko version, booted fine without any messages without a timezone arg.

Setup timezone, touchpad, wireless, my shares (client side) had a quick browse then, for lack of a working installation tool [ I really should merge f2fs installer and UEFI usb installer and make them overlay compliant and offer ext2,3,4 filesystems ], rebooted and saved the archive back to DVD. Rebooted fine, connected to network and shares working. Everything else saved fine. Posting from said now.

That's one of the thiings I like about the "Archive" save mechanism,
when you realise you don't have everything setup for a "Folder" based install,
you can just choose "Archive" and not lose any of the mods you have made.

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